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(No Model.)

Patented Nov. 30,1880.

T B. B8 u R0 ED... H1 m H EA G R. WASHINGTON D C.

UNITED TATES ATENT rare.

GEORGE E. W. HERBERT, OF ()OHOCTON, NEW YORK.

ANlMAL-POKE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 234,871, dated November30, 1880.

Application filed March 6, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE E. W. HER- BERT,of Oohocton, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, haveinvented certain Improvements in Animal-Pokes, ofwhich the following isa specification.

My invention relates to that class of animal-pokes in which a stale ispivoted in the lower end of'the bow, and provided with a cross-headarranged to bear against the rear side of the bow; and theimprovementsconsist in providing the poke with a stale having its upper end splitand spread in the form of a fork, and furnished with a cross-headarranged to bear against the back of the bow, and from or through whichhead project pricking devices, whereby all wrenching or twisting of thestale or head is prevented, the bow spread apart at the lower side, anda proper action of the parts insured.

In theaccompanyin g drawings, Figures 1 and 2 represent perspectiveviews of my improved device, taken, respectively, from the front andrear sides of the same.

In pokes of this class, in which the stale is furnished with across-head arranged to bear directly against the back of the how, agreat strain is brought upon the cross-head and its tenon connecting itwith the stale, for the reason that any resistance with which the stalemay meet is applied or received at the lower end of a long lever havingits fulcrum on the connecting-bolt close to the cross-head. This strainnot unfrequently breaks off the tenon by which the cross-head isattached, and renders the device worthless. Moreover, when a singletenon is employed and a single point of bearing on the bolt secured, thestale is liable to a wrenching or twisting strain, and the lower part ofthe bow, which tits upon the largest part of the animals neck, isbrought so close together as to render its use objectionable. Toovercome these defects without perceptibly increasing the weight of thedevice or adding to its expense constitutes the first object of myinvention 5 and to this end I construct the device as shown in thedrawings, in which A represents the bow, and B the stale pivoted to thebow by a transverse pin or bolt, 0.

As more clearly indicated in Fig. 1, the stale (No model.)

is split for a short distance at its upper end, forming two arms, a, theupper extremities of which are formed or fashioned into tenons b,fitting closely in mortises in a cross-head, D. It will be observed thatthe cross-head D extends beyond the sides of the bow A, and bearsdirectly against the back of the same, this arrangement being necessaryin order to maintain the stale in proper position.

By the above arrangement the cross-head is connected with the stale attwo points at a considerable distance apart and close to'the sides ofthe bow, thus giving greater strength and preventing a wrenching ortwisting strain on the stale. causes a spreading apart of the lower endsof the bow, giving to the latter a more desirable shape than it wouldotherwise possess, and also brings the strain of the stale upon the boltor pin G close to the sides of the bow, thereby avoiding all danger ofbending or breaking said pin.

The cross-head I) may be furnished with any suitable pricking device,either such as shown, or in any of the well-known forms in use orpatentedas, for instance, one consisting simply of needles secured tothe yoke and arranged to project through the cross-head, the latter inthat case serving as a shield.

In the drawings I have represented a cheap and convenient means ofsecuring the pivotal bolt or pin 0 against accidental removal. Such pinsare commonly held by a wire pin or key passing transversely through thebolt outside of the how; but such a device is objectionable in that thepin or key is liable to be lost in removing or replacing it, or bydropping out, thus rendering the poke for the time being useless.Instead, therefore, of employing a detachable or removable pin, Iprovide a permanent spring fastening-hook, E, constructed of wire or anarrow strip of metal, and secured to the side of the bow. The end ofthe spring-catch E may be bent and passed through the outer end of thepin or bolt G, as shown, or the latter may formed with a circumferentialgroove, and the catch adapted and arranged to engage therein.

The catch E is formed of a single piece of wire or spring metal havingits upper end bent and seated in the side of the bow, and is Thespreading of the stale also furnished near said end with a coil or turn,0, which serves both to give greater elasticity to the fastening and toreceive a fastening screw, d.

I am aware that a poke has been patented in which was shown a stalehaving its upper end split or divided and spread to receive a rollinghead-block, and that a divided stale without a head-block of any kindhas been proposed; but I am not aware that such a stale has ever beenprovided with a head-block bearing against the back of the bow, and itis in such a combination that the split stale possesses its greatestadvantages over the ordinary form.

I am aware that pins provided with spring catches have been patented,and that a springcatch of the form shown is not new; hence I lay noclaim thereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- As an improvedarticle of manufacture, the poke consisting of the bow A, split ordivided stale B, pivoted thereto,- cross-head mounted upon the arms a a,and arranged to bear directly against the back of the bow, and prick ingdevices projecting from or through the cross-head, as described.

GEORGE E. W. HERBERT. Witnesses:

WILLIAM W. DODGE, NATHAN 0. LANE.

